Drop-hammer.



"No. 709,577. Patented Sept. 23, I902.

' L. n. HOWARD.

DROP HAMMER.

{Applicatiun filed May 12, 1902.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

LEONARD D. HOWARD, OF ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT.

DROP-HAMM ER.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,577, dated September 23, 1902.

Application filed May 12, 1902.

To all whom it pur concern.-

Be it known that I, LEONARD D. HOWARD, a

citizen of the United States,residing at St. Johusbury, in the county of Caledonia and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Drop-Hammer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to drop-hammers of that class in which avertically-reciprocating hammer head or ram operated from a wristpin upon a wheel or disk works in conjunction with springs bearing against the sides of the pitman; and my present invention relates more particularly to the connecting parts or mechanism between the drivingshaft and the hammer-head.

The objects of my present invention are to facilitate the adjustment of the hammer-head with relation to the anvil, thereby adapting the machine to work of varying size and thickuses, to simplify the construction of the several parts, and to facilitate the adjustment of the tension of the springs.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafterfully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front view showing as much of a drop-hammer as is necessary to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the adjusting-nut by means of which the pitman is supported, the seat for said nut, and the parts operated thereby. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing one side of the pitman and the spring connected therewith, said spring being shown in its compressed state. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing a portion of one side of the pitman with its bolt or projection upon which the springis to be mounted and the adjusting-nut for said spring in position upon the end of the bolt.

Corresponding parts in theseveral views are indicated by like characters of reference. 1 designates the operating-disk mounted upon the shaft 2 and havinga wrist-pin 3. The latter is to be mounted adjustably upon the face of the disk 1 by means of a slide working in a dovetailed groove in the face of said disk; but this construction is not specifically illustrated, inasmuch as it is well Serial No. 106,955. (No model.)

known in the art and is usually resorted to for the purpose of adjusting the throw of the pitman.

4 designates the pitman, which is composed of two vertical bars or members 5 5, prefererably rectangular in cross-section and ex tending upwardly from a cross-arm 6, with which they have rigid connection.

7 is a casting mounted between the side members 5 5 of thepitman and havingits sides grooved, as at S S, to accommodate said side members. Near the lower end of the casting 7 is formed a hub or bearing 9 for the wristpin 3, a flanged bushing 10 being interposed, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2, where a portion of the hub has been broken away for the purpose of exposing said bushing. The upper end of the casting 7 is provided in front and in rear of the pitman members with laterally-extending arms 11, forming a seat or support for the nut 12, which latter is provided with a crank or lever handle 13, by means of which it may be conveniently manipulated. The nut 12 engages a segmental thread 14, cut in the upper ends of the pitmanmembers 5, and it will thus be seen that by turning the said nut the pit-man is capable of being adjusted vertically with relation to the casting 7, by means of which it is in turn connected with the wrist-pin of the operating-disk.

Extending laterally from the side members 5 5 of the pitman near their lower ends, but above the cross-arm 6, are cylindrical projections or bolts 15, the outer ends of which are screw-threaded for the reception of the nuts 16, which are formed with the springseats 17 and withperipheral recesses or indentations 18, adapted to be engaged by a wrench or spanner, by means of which the said nuts may be adjusted. The bolts or projections 15 extend through openings in the inner ends or arms of yokes 19, which embrace the said bolts or projections and the nuts carried thereon, and are provided at their outer ends with lugs or ears 20, perforated at 21 for the pivotal attachment of levers 22. Coiled springs 23 are placed upon the projections or bolts 15 and have bearings against the nuts 16 and against the inner ends of the yokes, which are likewise provided with seats 24 for the inner ends of the said springs. It will be seen that the action of said springs is to force the yokes and the upper ends of the levers 22, connected therewith, inthe direction of the pitman, also that the tension of the springs may be very easily and conveniently adjusted by means,

of the nuts upon the outer ends of the bolts or cylindrical projections 15. The levers 22 have pivotal connection with the ends of the cross-arm 6, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and their lower ends are connected, by means of links 25, with the hammer-head 26. The levers 22 act as multiplying-levers, their upper ends above the fulcra 27 being longer than their lower ends, which have connection with the links 25. By this construction I avoid the necessity of using of excessive strength, and danger of breakage or injury to the springs is in a large measure avoided.

It is preferred in practice to core the casting 7 longitudinally, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings, where said core is designated by 28. This is partly for the purpose of decreasing the weight, and incidentally this core may be used as an oilchamber for the purpose of supplying lubricant to the wrist-pin.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which it appertains. It will be seen that by simply turning the nut 12 the pitman and the hammer carried thereby may be very easily adjusted, so as to adapt it for operation upon work of varying thickness. By means of the nut 16 the tension of the springs may be adjusted so as to properly support the Weight and reaction of the hammer-head, while the reduced strain upon the spring due to the multiplying-levers and the general arrangement of the connecting parts is an advantage which will readily commend itself to the skilled user of this machine. When the hammer descends and strikes the anvil or the material supported thereon, the links 25 are forced by the impact of the blow in an upward direction at their inner ends, thus drawing the lower ends of the levers 22 inwardly and their upper ends in an outward direction, when the yokes connected with the upper ends of said levers will be drawn outward to the position shown in Fig. 4, thus causing the springs 23 to be compressed and immediately to rebound, whereby the levers 22 and links 25 will be restored to the position shown in Fig. 1, the movement of the pitman incidental to such restoration being permitted by the sliding connection of the arms 5 5 of said pitman with the casting whereby it is supported and connected with the crank-pin of the device.

Another advantage resulting from my invention, and to which I desire specially to invite attention, is that when a piece of work is placed under the hammer the thickness of which is too great to be operated upon by the hammer no breakage or injury to the machine will result therefrom, inasmuch as the casting '7, driven by the wrist-pin 3, will then simply slide down between the vertical bars or members 5 5 of the pitman. This 1s an important advantage. Inmachines of this class as ordinarily constructed the pitman connection with the wrist-pin is of such a nature as to permit no yielding. The consequence is that when too heavy work is placed under the hammer some part of the machlne will be strained or breakage will ensue. By the improved construction adopted by me all danger of strain or breakage under the conditions referred to will be avoided.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In adrop-hammer, the combination with the pitman having vertical side members, of a casting mounted slidingly between said slde members and having pivotal connection with the wrist-pin of the operating-disk, and means for supporting the pitman with relationto said casting, substantially as set forth.

2. In a drop-hammer, the combination with the pitman having vertical side members, of a casting mounted slidingly upon said side members and having pivotal connection with the wrist-pin of the operating-disk, and an adj usting-nut engaging threads upon the pitman members and having a seat or support upon the upper end of the casting, substantially as set forth.

3. In adrop-hammer, the combination with a pitman having vertical side members, of a casting mounted slidingly between said side members and having pivotal connection with the wrist-pin of the operating-disk, arms extending laterally from the upper part of said casting in front and in rear of the pitman members, and an adj usting-nut seated upon said arms and engaging threads in the upper ends of the pitman members, substantially as set forth.

4. In a drop-hammer, the combination of a pitman having vertical side members, with a casting mounted slidingly between said side members and having pivotal connection with the wrist-pin of the operating-disk, said casting being provided with an opening or core extending throughout its length, and means for supporting the pitman adjustably upon said casting, substantially as set forth.

5. In a drop-hammer, the combination of a pitman, a casting having means for pivotal connection with the wrist-pin of the operating-disk, said casting having sliding connection with the pitman, means for supporting the pitman upon the casting, a cross-arm at the lower end of the pitman, cylindrical proj ections above said cross-arm, yokes mounted upon said cylindrical projections, springs coiled upon the latter within the yokes,adj usting-nuts upon the outer ends of said cylindrical projections, a hammer-head movable with respect to the pitman, and suitable connections between the yokes and the hammerhead, substantially as set forth.

6. In a drop-hammer,the combination of the pitrnan having a cross-arm at its lower end and provided with laterally-extending cylindrical projections or bolts above said crossarm, the yokes mounted upon said bolts, springs mounted upon said bolts bearing upon the inner ends of the yokes, adjustingnuts upon the outer ends of the bolts, a hammer-head movable with relation to the pitman and suitable connections between the said yokes and the hammerhead, substantially as set forth.

7. In a drop-hammer,the combination'of the pitman having laterally-extending cylindrical LEONARD D. HOWARD.

Witnesses:

WALTER P. SMITH,

Gno. A. MILES. 

